How a controversial Hiyang-Tannaba led Prince Sanongba to bring Muslims in 1606 A.D.
By: Farooque Ahmed
Historically Prince Sanongba enlisted some hundreds of Muslims from a peasant community in Sylhet-Cachar region to make up his rag-tag troops and came in an abortive attempt to capture the throne of Manipur that was planned from Cachar following his expulsion in a rather family dispute. They did not come there on their own let alone as a sort of an invading force. They were immaculate peasants living in the Cachar-Sylhet region who were won over and who assisted him on his promise of some gains or fortune from spoils in the event of their being able to dethrone the Manipur monarch to make way for himself (Sanongba) as the ruler. This rag-tag "troops" proffered themselves and quickly marched on to Manipur for the adventure. Sanongba's plan turned topsy-turvy, instead he was captured; and with him those Muslim "mercenaries" were rounded up, only to be told by the king Khagemba (1597-1652) that they won't be allowed to return back.
At that time India was under Mughal Empire with Shahjahan (1628-1658) on the throne and Manipur was a sovereign kingdom. The Manipur king considered the Muslims to be unblemished faulting his recalcitrant brother Sanongba for the attack and they were ironically given settlement in Manipur with Meitei wives lest they should cause trouble in the future to his kingdom perchance they went back humiliated prompting to mount another attack on the kingdom that might involve a Muslim ruler from the west or the Nawabs of Sylhet aggravating from that small matter. Sylhet and part of Cachar district came under the administration of Muslim Amirs until 1765 who were responsible to the Nawab seated at Dacca. Thus Khagemba bought peace in a stroke and Muslims were destined to live there. R. K. Jhalajit Singh (1992) notes about this contact between the Meiteis and the Muslims as rather good in terms of Manipur's opening up to the outside world and trading relations. That's how the Muslims came to be known as Meitei-Pangal as the former intermingled in Meitei culture while becoming Muslims at the same time i.e. following the faith of Islam.
Cheitharol Kumbaba and a text known as Nongsamei Puya note in details about a legendary boat race story and subsequent incidences and incoming of the Muslims in Manipur valley. It refers to that Sanongba's covetous incursion as a semblance of Muslim-Cachari invasion by mercenaries which, Gangmumei Kamei (1991) notes, was "an outcome of an unhappy trifle incident at the royal palace of Manipur".
The context of the fabled, of course hugely popular event to this day
is the annual festive event, a boat race referred to as Hiyang Tannaba that involved the royals of Manipur can not be missed out before concluding when and how Muslims came to be in Manipur. The princes- Khwairakpam Chingsomba as well as Sanongba participated in it, wherein Chingsomba had to borrow a boat, as he did not possess one of his own, from Sanongba who gave it promptly. In the course of the event, Chingsomba riding in high speed got involved in a serious collision with another boat, he was not fatally injured himself but his borrowed boat was apparently damaged in the accident. Chingsomba found himself in a tight spot, rather a trouble of his younger brother's making, as Sanongba adamantly demanded the return of the same original boat - no compensation in any way- no money, nor a new boat, nor a repaired one but the original, though Chingsomba pleaded how best he could compensate for the damage. Since then the term "higaiwa" came to be in Meiteilon terminology. The matter turned into an impasse and even the king's (Khagemba 1597-1652) intervention did not bring around the adamant brother.
A displeased and furious Khagemba promptly turned Sanongba out from the kingdom; the latter had but to flee to Cachar who was accompanied by his dowager queen mother Luwang Changambi in the flight. Sanongba, rather than resigning himself, nursed a grudge against his brothers- Chingsomba, king Khagemba and indeed the monarchy. He toiled hard to raise some troops to attack Manipur and
capture the throne. He came up to the court of the Cachari king Sapradas Narayan (also known by name Satradaman or Pratap Narayan) who was convinced towards his cause by his account of the story as Sanongba did enlist many troops from the Cachari king in his force that also comprised of many irregulars mainly peasants who were made to expect of huge gains from the spoils after capturing Manipur throne by him.
King Satradaman who was ruling between 1603 and 1610, sent for the invasion his general Yakharek and own brother Bhimbal, with a Cachari force in 1604 A.D. The Cachari forces crossed the western hills and were encamped at Lamsang at the west Imphal. Khagemba got to know of the impending attack and Meitei forces were encamped at Luwang River. In the first battle, the Meitei forces were defeated and they retreated towards the capital (Gangmumei, 1991). Encouraged by the success, the Cachari forces then proceeded to Khurai, the northern division of the capital city. Khagemba sensing the gravity of the situation summoned all the nobles at the palace and appealed to them to repulse the Cachari forces.
According to one account of Puya, some brave Meitei nobles made a surprise attack and the leaders of the invaders were taken prisoners. Yakharek surrendered to Khagemba and was made to promise not to invade Manipur again. He is said to have gone back to Cachar with Sanongba. However the retreating Cachari soldiers informed their king that Yakharek, Bhimbal and Sanongba betrayed them and became allies of the king of Manipur.
Then the Cachari king felt even more determined and asked for the assistance of one Praseng, a leader of Muslim mercenaries of a locality known as Taraf somewhere near Habibganj in eastern Bengal. Then the king deputed an invading force under the command of Yakharek, Bhimbal and Prasena. This now became kind of a joint force comprising of Cacharis and many Muslim peasants that invaded Manipur in the fall of 1606 A.D. and they appeared at Lammangdong (Bishnupur) in the southwestern fringe of Manipur valley. The royal chronicle records it as the invasion by Sanongba assisted by the Mayangs and Kacharis. At this moment, some betel nut traders of that area reported to the Manipuri king about some unusual movement from the western border. Being alerted Khagemba immediately proceeded with his army to the spot and encamped at Toubun and Khoijuman near the Yangoi River and attacked the alien forces. He was assisted by his younger brother Chingsomba and general Nongsamei of the
Lairikyengbam.
The enemies were defeated this time; Sanongba and a large number of his followers were captured and taken prisoners.
Cheitharol Kumbaba says that Sanongba in this second invasion of Manipur received help of the Cachari troops led by King Pratap Narayan's Senapatis- Bhimbal and Yakharek together with Muslim mercenaries drawn from peasants who were settling then in the Cachar-Sylhet region. By Sanongba's illustration, the Muslims were too made to believe of his success to win the throne for himself and fortune for them as rewards; the Muslims were led by Muhammad Sani who happened to be the cousin of one of the Nawabs of Sylhet called Naziri. Then in the course of the invasion they were involved in a pitched battle with the Manipuri army besides the Barak River which lasted for a day. It was a protracted battle with neither side winning. At this the Cacharis were hopelessly withdrawing and the Muslims stayed back with Sanongba taking the command. At the approach of night, the fighting came to a dull. Next morning the Manipuri troops, in a ploy, called for a negotiation and reconciliation ostensibly to end the fight so as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed which after all was a tussle between the royals- the Manipuri side maintained. Sanongba's side acceded to it laying down their arms but they were all rounded up. The chronicle
says that they were captured and taken into Manipur.
The captured included Takka Raja, Mayang Tao and his son Phanmei Tao, Mai Ka Tao. A general of the Cachari king was killed in the battle. One wearing a head-dress of eleven feathers of hornbill was too killed. Khagaraja of Moirang Oknarel (Ningthoukhong) was taken prisoner. Other prisoners included drummer, weavers, potters, washer men, blacksmiths, musketeers, brass makers, horses and elephant keepers, stone artisans named Taophing and Sarik Tao, the goldsmith.
The leader of invaders, Yakharek was also captured. Other guides and scouts were too captured. The prisoners included 15 palanquin riders, 15 cavalry soldiers, three
elephants. Cheitharol Kumbaba notes as many as "thirty elephants, one thousand guns, one thousand Muslims, blacksmiths, artisans, horse and elephant keepers" were captured. Gangmumei notes this version of the Cheitharol Kumbaba about the capture as "exaggerated claim" and "hyperbolic account".
All said and done, the fitful and capricious prince Sanongba was castigated with berating words by king Khagemba who absolved the Muslims as fault-less blaming for the crisis on the eccentric Sanongba who brought the Muslims after all. They were counseled against doing such transgression or crime against the kingdom in future. As a result the Muslims were induced to settle down in Manipur instead of letting them go back to Sylhet that otherwise, the king probably sensed, might cause disquiet to the kingdom later. This semblance of the king precluded a potential misapprehension with the Sylhet-Cachari Muslims in general, and the Nawab Naziri of Sylhet in particular. In case the Muslims went back humiliated, they might come back with a larger force only to attack Manipur again which was the last thing the Manipur Raja needed who knew of the Muslim kingdom/power not so far from the western border. Muslims were persuaded to live there as citizens in the kingdom. Khagemba's parley won the enemies as law abiding citizens; those Muslims were given Meitei women to establish families. Muslims were enabled to feel as ideal community equitable with them and to practice their religion unhindered. Thus the tranquility and stability of the kingdom was maintained.
Jhalajit quotes Cheitharol Kumbaba of the post-climactic event, "All the captured persons including the Muslims were rehabilitated in Manipur. A new office was established for looking after the Muslims…. By rehabilitation, the erstwhile enemies were turned into useful, patriotic subjects of Manipur". He writes the result of invasion was rather good. It accelerated the contact of Manipur with the rest of India.
Gangmumei notes again: "The invasion failed and most of the soldiers were not professional soldiers but common peasants who were promised rich rewards for an adventure in an unknown land. Their leaders were captured. Prince Sanongba who was the root cause of the whole misfired military adventure was taken prisoner but was pardoned by his brother, the king. He died as a dejected man in 1619 A.D. But the impact of the invasion on Manipur was profound. The influence of the Muslim civilization under the imperial Mughals was felt in Manipur" due to a phenomenal increase in contacts, visits and trading relations.
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)
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